Indians Prospect Insider

It was an interesting week for the Lake County Captains as they were on the road in Peoria and Burlington last week. Peoria’s results were rare, as one game ended in a tie after it was suspended due to weather on Thursday and continued on Friday, and another game was cancelled. The team picked up two wins in Burlington as the offense produced seven runs on Sunday and the pitching was untouchable on Monday. All of that and more is recapped in this week's notebook...

Akron Aeros' right-handed pitcher Danny Salazar is presently 2-3 with a 2.67 ERA and a 51:10 K:BB. In three appearances from April 20-May 2, Salazar didn’t allow an earned run. On Tuesday, his final start with the Aeros, he tossed five innings against the Erie SeaWolves and yielded just one run. He is still working on his secondary stuff, but is expected to be promoted to Columbus in the next few days. Stephanie Metzger has the story...

The Lake County Captains’ offense generated some buzz on Sunday as they defeated the Burlington Bees 7-3 with a five-run ninth inning rally. Luis DeJesus (0-2, 6.30) received the start for the Captains to counter Burlington lefty Brandon Love (1-2, 5.18).

Life after the draft changes considerably for a player, but Lake County Captains’ starter Dylan Baker knows that baseball is just a game. Baker was taken by the Cleveland Indians in the 5th round of the 2012 draft and is an Alaska native who is still finding his way in pro ball. The IBI's Stephanie Metzger gives an update on the talented righty...

The Lake County Captains posted a 3-5 record since last Wednesday, but things are looking better as the offense is starting to come alive and the bullpen has provided some good outings. The warmer climate seems to be helping the starting pitchers a bit too, as the rotation crafted some better outings. The bullpen, however, hasn’t been able to hold opponents back as too many leads have been blown by the relievers. Join the IBI's Stephanie Metzger in his weekly Captains notebook....

The Clinton LumberKings axed the Lake County Captains in the first of a three-game series as the Captains fell 3-2 on Thursday evening. Righty Mitch Brown (1-1, 11.17) received the start for the Captains to counter Clinton right-hander Victor Sanchez (0-0, 0.00), who just joined the LumberKings on Tuesday.

The Akron Aeros completed a three-game series against the Trenton Thunder with a 5-4 win and some contributions at the plate from Chun Chen. Right-hander Toru Murata (1-2, 2.60) took the bump to counter Trenton righty Caleb Cotham (1-1, 4.85). The Thunder struck first in the form of a solo home run off the bat of catcher Kyle Higashioka in the second inning.

Most seniors in high school think about summer, college and upcoming graduation parties as they’re getting fitted for their tux for senior prom. Lake County Captains’ first baseman Nelson Rodriguez learned he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians during his tux fitting at Men’s Warehouse. Since being drafted and signing, he has been one of the most encouraging stories with the strides he has made to date.

Things are looking better for the Lake County Captains, though the offense still struggled this past week. The team went 3-5 since last Wednesday and the starting pitching has made significant strides. The IBI's Stephanie Metzger recaps the week that was and provides all sorts of updates in her weekly Captains notebook...

The Lake County Captains fell victim to a Sunday sweep as they lost both games of a double-header against the Great Lakes Loons. Both games were shortened to seven innings apiece, and both games featured solid pitching match-ups.

MIDLAND – The Lake County Captains snagged the first game of a double-header against the Great Lakes Loons on Saturday afternoon, as the offense produced an 11-7 victory. Captains’ offense struggled in a 9-4 loss against the Loons in Game Two.

The Lake County Captains crumbled to the Dayton Dragons in a 7-3 extra-inning affair Thursday night, as a South Carolina native with Ohio ties tallied 12 strikeouts. Joe Colon, a former Captain and Carolina Mudcat, joined the team as he received the start against Dayton right-hander Drew Cisco (1-0, 1.38). Cisco is the grandson of Galen Cisco, who pitched in the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox organizations, coached in the major leagues, and was part of the 1957 national champion Ohio State University football team.

The Lake County Captains won their second-straight game on Wednesday night as they took advantage of a handful of wild pitches and some timely hits to tame the Dayton Dragons for a 7-3 win. It was a southpaw showdown as lefty Ryan Merritt (0-2, 2.00) received the nod to start for the Captains against Dayton lefty Ismael Guillon (0-1, 4.91). Guillon is currently on the Cincinnati Reds’ 40-man roster and is ranked the 9th best Reds prospect by Baseball America.

Week two of the Lake County Captains season is in the books and the results were similar to the first week. The Captains’ offense continued to struggle and errors proved costly as the pitching staff couldn’t put a stop to the bleeding. Join the IBI's Stephanie Metzger as she runs down and recaps another week that was for the Captains...

The Lake County Captains let an early two-run lead slip away as they lost to the Fort Wayne TinCaps 5-4 on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Jake Sisco received the start for the Captains to face Fort Wayne righty Zach Eflin.

FORT WAYNE – The Lake County Captains overcame a six-game losing streak on Saturday with a 9-6 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Right-hander Mitch Brown (0-1, 15.43) made his second start of the season to counter Fort Wayne righty and Ohio native Justin Hancock (1-0, 3.86). Brown looked to rebound from an ugly first start in which he couldn’t escape the first inning.

The minor leagues are all about learning and development. New beginnings are a constant and for Cleveland Indians’ starter Jake Sisco, new beginnings are occurring both on and off the field. Sisco, 22, was the Indians’ third-round pick of the 2011 draft and is pitching in the starting rotation for Low-A Lake County, and according to the IBI's Stephanie Metzger has a chance to start over this season after a tough year last year.

Available IBI Books

The 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!